Dust and lubricant guard for journal-boxes



ts-Sheet 1.

- 2 Sh W. 0. DUNBAR. 66 AND LUBRIGANT GUARD FOR JOURNAL B Patented Mar.,891.

INVENTORI WITNESSES:

2 SheetsShee1 2.

(No Model.)

W. 0. DUNBAR. DUST AND LUBRICANT GUARD FOR JOURNAL BOXES. No. 448,211.

Patented Mar. 17, 18191.

INVENTORI l/WMW By flttorney.

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DUST AND LUBRICANT GUARD FOR JOURNAL-BOXES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 448,211, dated March17, 1891.

Application filed A gust 26, 1890. $erial No. 363,092. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM 01 1s DUNBAR, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Altoona, county of Blair, and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dustand Lubricant Guards for J ournal-Boxes, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention, while relating to dust and lubricant guards forjournal-boxes generally, has reference more particularly to that form ofsuch devices which is employed in connection with the journal-boxes ofcar-axles, its object being to provide a dust and lubricant guard ofthis character which, while insuring a tight joint being formed at alltimes around the axle and at the rear of the journal-box, shall besimple in construction and not liable to get out of order.

To these ends the invention consists, first, in the peculiarities ofconstruction of the dust and lubricant guard itself; second, in themeans whereby it is caused to grip the axle and thereby insure a tightjoint being formed aroundthe same; third, in the construction andarrangement of parts whereby a tight joint is not only formed around theaxle, but also at the rear of the j ourn al-box, and; fourth, in variousother combinations of parts, all as will hereinafter more fully appear.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of thisspecification, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a dust and lubricantguard made in accordance with my invention, the same being illustratedas applied in connection with a car-axle which is shown in section; Fig.2, an. edge elevation of the same with the axle removed; Fig. 3, avertical section of the dust and lubricant guard and rear of thejournal-box, taken in the plane 0: 0c of Fig. 1, showing in addition thecar-axle in elevation; Fig. 4, a transverse section of the dust andlubricant guard and journal-box, taken in the plane y y of Fig. 3, therear plate being broken away to show more fully one of its co-operatingsprings; Figs. 5, 6, and 7, views similar to Figs. 1, 3, and 4,respectively,

but illustrating a dust and lubricant guard of' a slightly modifiedconstruction, Fig. 6 being taken in the plane x 33' of Fig. 5, and Figs.5 and 7 being taken in the plane y y of Fig. 6.

In all the figures like letters are employed to designate correspondingparts.

A indicates the rear portion of a journalbox having the usual opening aand pocket a formed therein, and 13 indicates the axle, which, enteringthe journal-box, rests at its outer end in a suitable bearing locatedtherein. The journal-box here shown is of that form which is furnishedwith a pocket that is not only open at its bottom and provided aroundthe opening a with a slightly-projecting bearing-surface ad, but has forits back two flanges a a extending inwardly toward each otherasillustrated, for instance, in Figs. 9, 10,and 11 of Letters Patent No.23,303, which were granted to me May 6, 1890; but any of the otherordinary or well-known forms may be employed in lieu thereof without inany way affecting my invention.

Located in the pocket 0. is the dust and lubricant guard, by means ofwhich the opening a in the journal-box is closed and a tight jointaround the axle insured. This guard consists of the two plates 0 G. Theplate 0 is made of the proper length and breadth to cover the opening(it, against which itis placed, and is provided at or near its centerwith an opening I), which is of the requisite size and shape to closelyfit the axle when the latter is arranged therein. The plate C, on theother hand, is made of the proper dimensions to either surround aportion or the whole of said axle, as desired, and rests with its rearor back against the front of the plate G. In Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, 1have illustrated this plate C as made of a size to surround the lowersemicircumference of the axle B alone, while in Figs. 5 to 7,inclusive,I have shown it as made of the proper length and breadth tosurround the entire circumference. Then the dust and lubricant guard isnew, the plate 0 will be sufficient by itself to close the opening a andform a tight joint around the axle B, and the plate C is only employedto close up any enlargement in the opening I) that may afterward beoccasioned by wear or otherwise. To provide for closing up suchenlargement when one results, the plates 0 O are constantly forcedtoward the axle from opposite directions. The means whereby this forcingof the plates toward the axle is effected consists of a spring orsprings c, which is or are suit-- ably applied to accomplish thatresult. In Figs. 1 to 4 I have shown a single spring employed for thispurpose, while in the remaining figures I have illustrated a pluralityof springs for accomplishing this result. -When a single spring is madeuse of, I find it convenient to dispose it around a rod d, which dependsfrom a flange or projection on the plate 0 and enters an opening e,formed in a lugf, extending outwardly from the plate 0. As thus arrangedthe upper end of the spring bears against the under side of the flangeor projection on the plate 0', and its lower end presses on the upperside of the lug on the plate 0, and thereby forces the plates to whichsuch parts are respectively secured in the same directions as theythemselves are urged. hen, on the other hand,a plurality of springs areemployed, I prefer to locate them in holders or sockets g g, which arerespectively secured to the plates 0 C in such relation to each otherthat the holders or sockets 9 shall be directly over the holders orsockets g, withtheir axes in coincidenceas shown, for instance, in Fig.5. The material out of which these plates are 'made may be metal, wood,vulcanized fiber,

or other suitable materials, or, if preferred, a combination of two ormore of these substances. In Figs. 1 to 4c they are shown as made ofmetal, brass or bronze being preferred, while in Figs. 5 to 7 they aremade of metal with linings h of vulcanized fiber or other equivalentmaterial, which are held in recesses 2', formed in their backs andprovided with suitable openings to receive and fit the axle B whenarranged therein. When the plates are made wholly of metal, they willpreferably be provided upon their faces contiguous to the axle with anannular flange 71?, whereby to presentagreater thickness of material tothe action of such axle, and thereby reduce the rapidity with which theplates may be Worn away by its action to the minimum. These flanges mayalso be applied in connection with the linings h of the constructionillustrated in Figs. 5 to 7 when they are employed; but they are notessential to either construction, and may be applied or omitted withoutin any way affecting the scope of the invention. Again, the plates (3 Cmay likewise be supplied on their faces with strengthening ribs orflanges 1, if desired, to impart greater stiffness and rigidity thereto;but these are refinements, and, like the former, may be omitted and theplates operate with efficiency. In the construction of these plates thesurfaces thereof which come in contact are trued up so as to be smoothand flat, as will also be the case with the linings h when employed, andwith the back of the plate'C and the face of the bearing-surface aagainst which such plates bear; and in order to insure a tight jointbeing formed between these surfaces at all times I employ springs m,which, mounted in suitable holders or sockets a, bear against the innersides of the flanges a? 0. as shown, and press such surfaces tightlytogether. In Figs. 1 to 4: two of these holders or sockets n are securedto the plate 0 and two to the plate 0, while in Figs. 5 to 7 the entirenumber is secured to the plate 0; but the results of these arrangementsare the same in both instances, and the plate 0 is not only held againstthe bearingsurface a to close the opening a, but the plate 0 is forcedagainst the plate C.

It will thus be seen that by my construction I not only produce a dustand lubricant guard which is exceedingly simple, but one which insuresboth the tight closure of the opening a. and a close joint being formedaround the axle B, despite any wear that may takeplace around the same.

In the foregoing I have described the best means contemplated by me forcarrying my invention into practice; but I wish it distinctly understoodthat I do not limit myself strictly thereto, as it is obvious that I maymodify the same in various ways without departing from the spiritthereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desiretosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. The combination, with a journal-box provided with an opening and apocket in its rear, and an axle B, of the two plates 0 G, resting sideby side in said pocket and surrounding theaxle, and means for not onlysliding the plates on each other in opposite directions to close thejoint around the axle, but also for holding the two plates pressedoloselytogetherand the plate 0 pressed against the front of the pocketto close the opening therein, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the plate 0, provided with an opening which isadapted to receive and fit a cylindrical axle when arranged therein, andwith a lug f, having an opening 6, of the plate C for co-operating withthe former, provided with a rod d, and a spring surrounding said rod andserving to press the plates in opposite directions, substantially asdescribed.

The combination, with a j onrnal-box provided with an opening and apocket in its rear, and an axle entering the same, of aplate 0, providedwith an opening which is adapted to receive and fit such axle, a plateG, resting against the side of the former plate, and means for bothholding the two plates pressed toward the axle from opposite directionsand the plate 0 pressed against the front of the pocket, substantiallyas described.

4. The combination, with a j ournal-box provided with an opening and apocket in its rear, and an axle B, of the two plates G O, resting sideby side in said pocket and surrounding the axle, and springs containedin suchplates for not only sliding the plates on each other in oppositedirections to close the joint around the axle, but also for holding thetwo plates pressed closely together and the plate 0 pressed against thefront of the pocket to close the opening therein, substantially asdescribed.

5. The combination, with a journal-box provided with an opening and apocket in its rear, of the plate 0, resting in said pocket and providedwith the holders or sockets n, the plates 0', resting against the formerplate and provided with the holders or sockets 'n, and the springs m,located in said holders or sockets to hold the plates pressed closelytogether and the plate 0 pressed against the front of the pocket toclose the opening a, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with an axle B and the plates 0 0', provided withthe recesses d, of the linings h, arranged in such recesses and providedwith openings to receive and fit the axle, and devices whereby theplates may be held pressed toward the axle from opposite directions byspring-pressure, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with a journal-box provided with an opening a and apocket a in its rear, an axle entering said box, and the plates 0 0,provided with recesses in their backs, of the linings h, of vulcanizedfiber, arranged in said recesses and provided with openings to receiveand fit the axle when arranged therein, and devices whereby the platesare pressed toward the axle from opposite directions and forced togetherand against the front of the pocket by spring-pressure, substantially asdescribed.

.In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 25th day ofAugust, 1890.

WILLIAM OTIS DUNBAR.

Witnesses:

P. F. SMITH, J12, WM. H. APPLETON.

